This Month -May News

May the Month of Mary

To you do we cry poor banished children of Eve. To you do we send up our sighs, mourning, and weeping in this valley of tears.

Turn then, O most gracious advocate, your eyes of mercy toward us and after this our exile show unto us the blessed fruit of your womb, Jesus.

O clement! O loving! O sweet Virgin Mary!

Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God.

That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Mary was a strong but gentle woman. She had the courage to question, and then decide for herself.

She understood pain and suffering, and throughout her trials and tribulations, she continued to respond, believe, listen and serve.

Mary’s faith is a symbol for us all. She believed, even when logic told her that it was impossible. Under the

Spirit’s action, Mary was transformed and ascended.

During this month of May, we are called to hear the word and to believe it. Mary continues to have much to teach us.

Principal's Message

This is a special time to remember our mothers, those living and those who have gone to be with the Lord. Take the time to thank our mothers, who have given us life. There are so many mothers to honour - grandmothers, godmothers, adoptive mothers, stepmothers, foster mothers and friends’ mothers. We thank all of our mothers for showing us their love, guiding us on our journey, and bringing us joy on a continual basis. We also honour in a special way, Mary, who is our heavenly Mother. To all the mothers in the community, may you always know that we appreciate and value the wonderful work you do everyday with your child(ren). We wish all Mothers a very happy and enjoyable Mother’s Day on May 13th!

Catholic Education Week 2017/2018
May 6-11

This year’s Catholic Education Week theme is “Renewing the Promise.”

The theme for CEW 2018 draws upon previous documents on Ontario Catholic education, namely, “This Moment of Promise” (1989), “Fulfilling the Promise” (1993) and “Our Catholic Schools” (2006-2007). These three documents, while several years apart from each other, all speak of the unique mission of Ontario Catholic education, the importance of its shared leadership by all those involved in Catholic education and the critical role of Catholic education in contemporary society.

Every year, the Ontario Catholic School Trustees’ Association (OCSTA) provides our Catholic schools with a resource kit to help schools prepare for Catholic Education Week. Using these resources as well as our own developed activities, we have prepared a series of activities which will highlight how our school is Renewing the Promise.

Appropriate Clothing-Warmer Weather

With the warm weather approaching, we would like to take this opportunity to review our dress code expectations. Students are to observe the guidelines below

*Wear shorts of appropriate length (e.g. a walking short length or longer)

*Sleeveless blouses are permitted, but no tank tops/muscle shirts. T-Shirts are a good idea for protection from the sun

*Blouses/shirts should be of a length that they could be tucked in. (e.g. no midriff exposed)

*Caps and visors are recommended to protect from the sun.

Arrival on Time/Interruptions/
Leaving Early

Important, exciting, interesting and serious learning occurs at Holy Family Catholic School Staff try diligently to ensure that time is not wasted, and that all students are involved in all possible ways every moment of the day.

Please ensure your child arrives at school after 8:40 AM but prior to 8:55 AM.

If it is necessary for your child to leave school early for an appointment, or will not be taking the bus, please send a note indicating the change to the student’s schedule. We would like to avoid calling into the classrooms as this interrupts the learning of our students. Thank you for your understanding.

Kindergarten Registration

It’s Registration Time

Getting Ready for Kindergarten

Starting Kindergarten is an exciting and special time for parents and children. Our entire Catholic school community looks forward to welcoming our youngest students as they begin a lifelong journey of faith-filled learning. We believe there is something truly unique and special about learning that is rooted in faith and spiritual growth. By choosing a faith-filled education, we know you will share that belief with us.

We encourage parents who are looking to register their child for Kindergarten to please contact Mrs. Smith at (705) 435-3989 to get a Kindergarten package. You can also find all of the information on our board’s website at www.smcdsb.on.ca/parents/kindergarten.

EQAO Assessment 2017/2018

Every student in Grade 3 and 6 in the province of Ontario will participate in the provincial assessment in reading, writing, and mathematics. It will take place between May 22nd and June 4th, for all students in Grade 3 and Grade 6. Could you please avoid booking dental, doctor appointments or vacations during this time. Please also discuss with your child the importance of these assessments and encourage them to do their very best.

Criminal Background Checks
(CBCs)

With the school trips starting soon, please see information below regarding CBCs.

It is SMCDSB policy that parent volunteer must secure a satisfactory CBC with vulnerable screening prior to commencing any volunteer work. Once a CBC with vulnerable sector screening has been submitted it is the volunteer’s responsibility to update their CBC data on an annual basis by completing an Annual Declaration.

If you are thinking about volunteering at Holy Family for 2017/2018 school year and have not submitted a satisfactory CBC or have not been updating your CBC on an annual basis you are encouraged to complete your CBC check as soon as possible as the process does take some time. Please note that you will not be able to volunteer at the school or attend field trips unless this documentation has been submitted to the office. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact the main office.

School and Church Parking Lot

Parents please exercise caution when entering, dropping off and exiting the St. Paul’s church parking lot and our School parking lot. It is helpful when we are all conscious of the children’s proximity to our vehicles when entering, starting our cars and leaving. By taking care to be safe we are ensuring that we, as a school community, are doing our part to ensure that safety is our number one priority for all the children. Thank you for your support.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank the casts of our musical this year. They prepared with great enthusiasm and effort and put on an engaging and attention grabbing performances.

The success of this performances would not have been possible without the support and contribution of the following: our parents, our community members, and the school staff.

Thank you!

Hurricane Update

Our intermediate Girl’s and Boy’s softball teams are practicing and preparing for the upcoming Intermediate South Simcoe Softball Championship The Boy’s tournament will be held in Alliston on May 16 and the Girl's tournament will be held in Alliston on May 17. The rain date is May 18.